Islam
/ˈɪs.lɑːm/
"islam" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“Islam” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,502 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.
- #3,502
- frequency rank, English
- 5
- letters
- 7
- tracked misspellings
- 13
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A monotheistic Abrahamic religion followed by Muslims that is based on the teachings of Muhammad and the Qur'an.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | Islam |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Proper noun |
| IPA | /ˈɪs.lɑːm/ |
| Letters | 5 |
| Frequency rank | #3,502 |
| Misspellings tracked | 7 |
| Confusable pairs | 13 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “Islam” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for Islam is 5 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɪs.lɑːm/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,502 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for Islam, with forms such as "ilsam", "isalm", and "islamm". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 13 confusable-pair relationships, "isle", "issa", "islet", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed around 1610 from Arabic إِسْلَام (ʔislām, “submission, surrender”), verbal noun of أَسْلَمَ (ʔaslama), from the root س ل م (s l m). The correct English form is Islam, spelled I-S-L-A-M.
Definition
- 1A monotheistic Abrahamic religion followed by Muslims that is based on the teachings of Muhammad and the Qur'an.
- 2A monotheistic Abrahamic religion followed by Muslims that is based on the teachings of Muhammad and the Qur'an.
- 3A male given name.
- 4A surname.
Etymology
Borrowed around 1610 from Arabic إِسْلَام (ʔislām, “submission, surrender”), verbal noun of أَسْلَمَ (ʔaslama), from the root س ل م (s l m).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ilsam,isalm,islamm,isllam,islma,isslam,silam
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Islam - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "Islam"?
What does "Islam" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "Islam"?
How do you pronounce "Islam"?
What is the origin of the word "Islam"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “Islam”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is I-S-L-A-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈɪs.lɑːm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “isle” - see the side-by-side comparison. Islam vs isle
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.